Conventionally, there is a technology for performing communication between devices using near field communication such as NFC. By near field communication, communication between an information processing device and a storage device (so-called tag) starts in response to the storage device approaching the information processing device.
Conventionally, a storage device that is communicable with an information processing device by near field communication is merely used in a specific application program executed by the information processing device, and there has been room for improvement regarding the versatility of such a storage device.
Accordingly, this application discloses an information processing system, an information processing device, a storage medium storing an information processing program, and an information processing method, with which a storage device is usable in a more versatile manner, and such a storage device.
(1)
An example of information processing system described in this specification is an information processing system including a storage device; and an information processing device for performing near field communication with the storage device.
The storage device has an external appearance representing, three-dimensionally or two-dimensionally, an object that appears in a virtual space generated by execution of a predetermined application program by the information processing device. The storage device also stores object information on the object.
The information processing device includes a character write unit and a first process execution unit. The character write unit writes, to the storage device, character image information specifying an image of a character created based on an instruction of a user. The first process execution unit executes a predetermined process using at least one of the object information and the character image information read from the storage device.
(2)
The first process execution unit may execute, as the predetermined process, a process of displaying at least a part of the object and at least a part of the character on a display unit in the state where the part of the object and the part of the character are associated with each other.
(3)
The object information may be stored on a storage unit in advance at the time of production of the storage device.
(4)
The object may be a player character to be operated by the user. The character may correspond to the user that operates the player character.
(5)
The character write unit may write, to the storage device, information specifying an image of an avatar of the user as the character image information.
(6)
The information specifying the image of the avatar may be information specifying an image of each of parts included in the avatar.
(7)
The storage device may store identification information on the object as the object information.
(8)
The first process execution unit may execute the predetermined application program to execute, as the predetermined process, an appearance process of causing the object that appears in the virtual space using the object information read from the storage device.
(9)
The information processing device may further include a second process execution unit for executing another application program different from the predetermined application program to further execute a process of causing the character to appear in the virtual space using the character image information read from the storage device.
(10)
Another example of information processing system described in this specification is an information processing system including a storage device; and an information processing device for performing near field communication with the storage device.
The storage device has an external appearance representing, three-dimensionally or two-dimensionally, an object that appears in a virtual space generated by execution of a predetermined application program by the information processing device. The storage device also stores object information on the object and user information on a user.
The information processing device includes a display control unit for displaying the object and information representing the user corresponding to the object on a display unit in the state where the object and the information representing the user are associated with each other using the object information and the user information read from the storage device.
(11)
The object may be a player character in a game application which is the predetermined application. The display control unit may display, on the display unit, the player character and information representing the user that operates the player character in the state where the player character and the information representing the user are associated with each other.
(12)
The user information may be information specifying a character that is different from the object and corresponds to the user. The information processing device may further include a process execution unit for executing another application program different from the predetermined application program to cause a character specified by the user information read from the storage device to appear in the virtual space.
(13)
Still another example of information processing system described in this specification is an information processing system including a storage device; and an information processing device for performing near field communication with the storage device.
The storage device has an external appearance representing, three-dimensionally or two-dimensionally, a general appearance of a first character appearing in a virtual space generated by execution of a predetermined application program by the information processing device. The storage device also stores character information on the first character.
The information processing device includes a character write unit and a first process execution unit. The character write unit writes, to the storage device, character image information specifying an image of a second character created based on an instruction of a user. The first process execution unit executes a predetermined process using at least one of the character information and the character image information read from the storage device.
The first character and the second character may be the same character (e.g., avatar in the embodiment described later) or different characters.
This specification discloses an information processing device or a storage device included in the information processing system according to (1) through (13), and also discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an information processing program which causes a computer of the information processing device to function as each of units of the information processing device. The information processing device may have a structure including the character write unit but not including the first process execution unit. The information processing program may be an information processing program causing the computer of the information processing device to function as a character write unit (but not as the first process execution unit). This specification discloses an information processing method executable by the information processing system.
According to an information processing system, an information processing device, a storage medium storing an information processing program, an information processing method and a storage device described above, the storage device performing near field communication can be used in a more versatile manner.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.